Ahmedabad top cop accused of harassment, HC issues notice

The Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Shivanand Jha on a plea by a businessmen who alleged that Jha was using the police machinery to harass him in order to help his builder friend.

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Shivanand Jha on a plea by a businessmen who alleged that Jha was using the police machinery to harass him in order to help his builder friend.

Justice V M Pancholi, on February 11, issued notices to the state government, city-based builder Ashish Shah and Jha over the petition filed by Anmol Aggarwala, a textile businessman. It would be heard on March 11.

Aggwarwala alleged that Shah, who had sold him a plot at Balaji Green city at Adalaj here in 2012, wanted to cancel the transaction.

Aggarwala subsequently learnt that the plot had been sold to somebody else in 2011. When he refused to cancel the sale deed, Shah, on the advice of Jha, his close friend, filed two FIRs agianst Aggarwala for alleged cheating and breach of trust. Later, the High Court stayed the probe in these two FIRs.

Aggarwala alleged that Jha transferred the FIRs to the detection of crime branch (DCB) just to harass him.

Two bank officers, who were also harassed by Shah, had also filed a petition in the High Court seeking protection from "humiliation", the petition says.

The crime branch officials kept visiting the petitioner's firm and harassed him, it adds. Some police officers even visited his 7-year-old daughter's school and inquired about her father.

"This is a typical case of a nexus between political executive, police officers and the builder....The petitioner approached the court for protection of himself and his family members..." says the petition, seeking a judicial inquiry.